The US city of Memphis on Saturday disbanded the special police unit whose officers fatally beat a young Black man, after graphic video of the assault sparked widespread shock and outrage.
The video, which shows five officers repeatedly kicking and punching 29-year-old T as he moans and calls out for his mother, triggered calls for police reform.
The southern US city on Saturday announced it had deactivated the officers’ special unit, known as Scorpion, which was launched in 2021 to reduce illegal activity by assigning more police to high-crime areas.
The Memphis Police Department said in a statement it was “in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate the SCORPION Unit,” which stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods.
